Witness in train blasts case is hostile: Court

A designated MCOCA court on Wednesday declared a witness in the serial train blasts case hostile after he alleged the Anti-Terrorism Squad had illegally detained him and coerced him to give a statement.

A designated MCOCA court on Wednesday declared a witness in the serial train blasts case hostile after he alleged the Anti-Terrorism Squad had illegally detained him and coerced him to give a statement.

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In his statement, the witness said he knew Faizal Shaikh, one of the arrested accused, and that he had attended some meetings of the banned, Students Islamic Movement of India (SIMI), in which issues regarding Pakistan-visits of some of the accused were discussed.

On Wednesday, he alleged before a designated MCOCA judge YD Shinde that he was illegally detained by the police for more than 20 days, said defence lawyer Khan Abdul Wahab. He further alleged that he was tortured during the period and coerced to give a statement. The police had tutored him, the lawyer added.

Special public prosecutor Raja Thakare began cross-examination of the witness after the designated court declared him hostile. The special prosecutor refused to comment on the development stating his testimony was not complete yet, and he would continue the cross-examination on Thursday.

The prosecutor on Wednesday questioned the witness if he had lodged any complaint about the alleged illegal detention and the torture, advocate Khan said adding that the witness had purportedly prepared three affidavits and produced photocopies of the same before the designated court on Wednesday.

The MCOCA court then directed the witness to original copies of his purported affidavits on Thursday.